The team from prison restaurant charity The Clink took home the Corporate Social & Environmental Responsibility Award at the Footprint Awards 2012

Prison restaurant charity The Clink, Spirit Pub Company and Michelin-starred celebrity chef Raymond Blanc have all been recognised for contributing to sustainable and environmental excellence in the Footprint Awards 2012.

The annual awards are accredited by the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) Environment Forum and recognise hospitality businesses, caterers and suppliers.

The Clink Charity, founded by chef Alberto Crisci, scooped the accolade for Corporate Social & Environmental Responsibility. The award, sponsored by Nestlé Professional, was given to the team from HMP High Down prison in Surrey for their work on prisoner rehabilitation.

The charity runs the first and only commercial restaurant inside a working prison with selected inmates getting the chance to work in the kitchen and front of house while gaining training and qualifications to use in the workplace after they are released.

Wind turbine

Chris Moore, chief executive of The Clink Charity said the team was pleased and proud to have been recognised. "Sustainable practise is high on our agenda. All of our fryer oil is turned into bio diesel on site and this is used to power our tractor, lawn mowers and mini bus. All cardboard, glass and cans are recycled and sold, and all our food waste is composted and reused on the prison grounds."

"The prison also has a wind turbine that produces 900kw hours a year which is enough to power one of our ovens in The Clink kitchen," Moore added.

It was almost a double celebration for the charity at the ceremony at 8 Northumberland in London as The Clink Charity was also named runner-up in another category - the Commercial Benefit Through Sustainable Practice Award.

Spirit Pub Company

Staffordshire-based pubco Spirit Pub Company took the prize for Waste Management and Reduction for its reverse logistics waste recycling scheme.

Alongside foodservice provider Wincanton, Spirit pubs separate oil, food waste, and containers which are returned to the Wincanton depot where the card, tins and plastics are recycled, oil is used for further food production and food waste used to generate electricity.

Although he was unable to collect the award in person, Raymond Blanc was announced as the recipient of the Special Achievement Award for his work on sustainability at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and his outspoken and educated pressure he puts on the entire foodservice industry.

Prison restaurant charity The Clink, Spirit Pub Company and Michelin-starred celebrity chef Raymond Blanc have all been recognised for contributing to sustainable and environmental excellence in the Footprint Awards 2012.